Fred Willard's Death Has Stars in Disbelief

Fred Willard is considered one of the most beloved performers in Hollywood, and his death on [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Fred Willard is considered one of the most beloved performers in Hollywood, and his death on Friday has left the industry shaken. Willard had more than 300 television and movie credits to his name, stretching back to the mid-1960s. Jamie Lee Curtis, Henry Winkler, Jimmy Kimmel, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Steve Carell are just a handful of celebrities who have shared their condolences on social media.

Willard's publicist confirmed Saturday that the Best In Show star died from natural causes. He was 86 years old. "My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much," Willard's daughter, Hope, said in a statement released by his agent. "We will miss him forever."

Willard worked right up until his death. He filmed 10 episodes of Netflix's upcoming Space Force, a sitcom created by The Office's Greg Daniels and Carell. In the series, Willard plays the father of Carell's character. Carell called Willard "the funniest person" he ever worked with and a "sweet, wonderful man." The two also worked together on the two Anchorman movies with Will Ferrell.

Sadly, Willard's last tweet was a tribute to another comedy icon. Earlier this week, the legendary Jerry Stiller died, just days after Rock and Roll icon Little Richard's passing. "I met him in the 60s when we played in the same clubs in The Village as he and Anne Meara. Unfortunately for us, they were much funnier! We couldn't be jealous, so we became good friends instead," Willard wrote in his final tweet.

Steve Carell

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Jimmy Kimmel

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Jamie Lee Curtis

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Henry Winkler

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Harry Shearer

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Sofia Vergara

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Jesse Tyler Ferguson

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Eric Stonestreet

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Jeff Ross

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Paul Feig

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Michael McKean

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Judd Apatow

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